Types of Squats – All The Information

Not all exercises are for the same parts of the body or for the same purpose. Some are for muscle toning, while others are for weight loss or muscle gain.

Other exercises are to work the arms, legs, chest, buttocks, etc. Depending on your need, the taste of the person, the sport they practice or what they do.

For this reason, some prefer to have the advice of a trainer who tells them what to do and how to do it, since to achieve a perfect body it is not enough to simply go to the gym, the routine must also be done correctly and with the appropriate intensity.

Poor posture will prevent the exercise from having the proper effect and could even lead to muscle injury or worse.

One of the most common exercises are squats. By doing them, we can train many muscles. In addition to the legs and buttocks, we also strengthen the trunk and activate a large number of muscles that help us burn calories.

However, burning calories with this exercise depends on many factors, some of them are age, weight, gender, the number of times you train, the intensity with which you do it and the duration of it. Therefore, if you put heart into it, you can achieve good results in a short time.

Now, did you know that there are several types of squats? You probably only knew the traditional one, the one they make us do at school when we are children. But the truth is that there are several types, all very effective. If you want to vary your training routine and learn about the different squats out there, this is your lucky day. Here you can learn more about the subject.

Instructions

1. Get into the starting position with your legs shoulder-width apart, your head up, your back straight, and your arms out to the sides.
2. Before going down, tilt your pelvis back.
3. As for the chest, it should point forward and not towards the ground.
4. Push out your chest and make force in the abdominal part.
5. Once you find yourself in the correct position, begin to descend. But it is not about going down, rather it is backwards, until you feel that the weight falls on your heels.
6. Breathe as you bend your knees. Arms come forward with thumbs in.
7. Your knees should be right above your feet. They should not be inside. Make sure of it.
8. When descending, go only as far as you can remain stable, without losing your balance.
9. Keep your back straight, bending your upper body slightly.
10. When you reach the bottom, pull back to return to the starting position. While you do it you must breathe.
11. The arms also return to their initial position, that is, at the sides of your body.
12. When you finally reach your starting position, breathe and repeat the exercise again.

Regarding the number of squats, you can do, if it’s the one we just described, known as the classic one, you can do it every day. Of course, if you feel any discomfort or muscle pain, it is best to give yourself a break. But what else do you need to know about this interesting and beneficial topic?

What do you need

Knowing the different types of squats gives you the opportunity to train in a variety of ways. You can try them all and then keep the ones you like the most or the ones that give you the best results. Let’s see.

sumo squats

It is one of the most effective training methods for the legs that exist. However, with it you will also be strengthening your buttocks and trunk muscles.

The correct way to do them is by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward. Move the backs of your thighs down and back as your arms come forward.

Your body should descend as much as possible, without your back leaving a straight position. Then, with your legs, force yourself up again to return to your starting position.

pistol squats

This squat is single-legged, because its purpose is to work on knee flexion. Therefore, we can say that it is a very demanding exercise, which also requires mobility, strength and coordination.

While standing, stretch one leg out in front of you and keep your back straight as you go down and up. The leg you support yourself with should be firm and your arms extended forward to maintain balance.

crab squats

With this exercise you must bend your knees and, when they reach their maximum tension, take a lateral step to the left and then to the right. When you do this, your foot and knee should be slightly turned outwards.

Now, these are not the only squats that we can find. Actually, there are all kinds of them, many of which are carried out with sports equipment. They are between them:

• The back squats.
• The frontal ones.
• Head squats.
• The Bulgarians, among others.

But why squat? What is its benefit for our body? Is it worth doing them?

benefits of squats

Although it is a simple exercise, it brings many positive benefits to your body. For example:

•  Strengthens the muscles of the legs and buttocks.
• They strengthen the entire trunk and help achieve a marked abdomen.
• They are an ideal way to burn calories and fat.
• They improve balance and coordination of the different parts of the body.
•  They help improve physical condition.
• They have a positive effect on the knee, ankle and hip joints.
• They give stability to the knees.
• They improve performance in exercises related to running and jumping, etc.

For all these reasons and many more, it is worth dedicating a few minutes a day to doing this physical activity. Of course, remember that you should not push your body too hard, since the purpose is not to cause exhaustion or a cramp.

Tips

It is important that you keep in mind that the initial movement that you are going to do is similar to the one you do when you sit down. If you find it difficult to do this, you can practice with a chair. Of course, without actually sitting completely on it. You will only stay in the intention of doing it.

On the other hand, you must not forget that the correct movement is backwards and not downwards. This is one of the most frequent mistakes made by those who decide to do this exercise. So they do it wrong.

As you go down, avoid bringing your knees in. They should always follow the position of the toes, which will point out. Something that can help you is: do a brief warm-up exercise, which consists of moving your ankles before doing the squats.

When concentrating on the lower part of our body, it is normal to neglect the position of the back, neck and shoulders, which we tend to bend or bring down. To prevent this from happening to you, always look ahead, keep your back straight, open your chest and relax your shoulders.

When you squat, never lift your heels, as these are what will help you return to your starting position. To go up, press through your heels to activate your muscles for balance.

If you can’t stop raising your heels, maybe this is an indication that you should train your mobility. So you must take the necessary time to train this part of your body, before doing the squats.